The invention relates to a multi-stage inflator, especially for a vehicle occupant restraint system in motor vehicles.
From the state of the art multi-stage inflators comprising an outer housing are known which includes substantially two housing shells connected to each other and defining an interior which forms, inter alia, a main combustion chamber. In the main combustion chamber plural sleeve-shaped components are provided which may be in the form of separate additional combustion chambers. The plurality of components such as e.g. the separate combustion chamber elements, igniter sleeves and igniter carriers, render the assembly complicated and thus expensive. The use of housing shells permits simple and inexpensive manufacture and assembly as well as a light-weight design of the outer housing. The outer housing must be extremely loadable when the inflator is ignited.